This post is also available in:
Lately, I read more and more articles about multitasking. And not about how it should be done and that it is all so great, but that research shows that it is not so good for you. And I think that’s great news. Finally, I am freed from multitasking! For years I have tried to do everything at once, but it has never gone very well. I was also very restless and it seemed to me not much time to deliver.
And now it appears from those articles that it is not at all more efficient and that it can even be harmful! Our brains are not equipped at all to do multiple tasks at the same time. If you try to do two different tasks at the same time, you actually just lose time and you have the chance that you also make many more mistakes. Moreover, it also provides more stress. You are simply less productive.
If, on the other hand, you complete two tasks one after the other, you work better and faster. It saves time. It also costs less energy, gives less stress and is good for your self-confidence.
So the best thing is to handle one thing at a time and make a note for the other items or put them on a to-do list. (see also my article reach your goal in 6 steps)
Mono-tasking, also known as single-tasking or uni-tasking, can make your work and personal life a lot better and more pleasant and I am very happy with that. I now try to focus on one task at a time both in my private life and at work and finish it first before I start the next task and that works much better. Of course, it does not always work and that is not bad at all, but by consciously dealing with it, I get more rest.